MAY 16, 2014

Lotus hits back after Renault pay claims

Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez has hit out at Renault, after the F1 engine supplier revealed some of its customers are behind in payments.

Although Renault chief Jean-Michel Jalinier's comments in Barcelona also triggered rumours about the future of Caterham, suspicion also fell on Lotus, who last year were famously late to pay Kimi Raikkonen.

But driver Romain Grosjean was also not paid by struggling Lotus in 2013, although the Frenchman said last month he kept the problem quiet.

"I never opened my mouth in front of the media because it was my own business, my personal thing," he said.

Indeed, team owner Lopez has now hit back at Renault for suggesting some teams have failed to pay for their new turbo V6 engines this season.

"I said to them if they are going to say things, then name the team that is an issue," he is quoted by the Daily Mail.

"Don't just say 'teams' and then expect people to make their own judgements.

"If there is (a team that has not paid), it must be somebody else, but I'm not even sure there is, to be honest with you," Lopez added.